The Town of Essex is taking steps to address the environmental changes impacting our community.
Climate change, increasing resource consumption and the rising cost of fossil fuel can take a toll on budget allocations, infrastructure maintenance and other municipal services. Addressing these changes proactively requires a concerted effort and a plan of action.
This will be an ongoing task, as the degrees of change have yet to be determined and experienced. Like other proactive municipalities, the Town of Essex is committed to the management of our resources in sustainable and adaptable ways for the long-term benefit of our residents, businesses and institutions.
The Town of Essex is taking the next steps towards the development of a comprehensive Climate Change Adaptation Plan (CCAP), which will help the municipality plan and adapt to the impacts of climate change.
The Essex Climate Adaptation Team (ECAT), made up of interested citizens and stakeholders, assists Town staff in developing the CCAP by identifying measures to improve adaptation, reduce vulnerability, enhance community resilience and protect resources while identifying potential cost-savings and economic opportunities.
Learn more online at the Essex Climate Adaptation Team's page.
Science has confirmed that the earth is warming. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the mean temperature for the planet as a whole has climbed 0.74 ̊C in the last 100 years. Due to a phenomenon called the greenhouse effect, the long-term pattern of weather that Essex residents are used to experiencing is changing.
Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide trap heat from the sun in the lower atmosphere to keep the planet warm and habitable. These gases occur naturally, but the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is on the rise due to human activity. Use of fossil fuels and deforestation contribute to an increase in the Earth's mean temperature.
Greenhouse gases come from a variety of sources including the combustion of fossil fuels (oil, coal and natural gas) for transportation, industry, building and electricity production. Greenhouse gases are also generated from agriculture and waste.
According to Milestone Two and the Science of Climate Change, a report generated in April 2012 for the Town of Essex by the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives, the following changes are likely:
Increased air temperature |
We expect to see an increase in the average annual temperature of 2.7 ± 0.5°C by 2050 from the 1971-2000 baseline. There will be slightly more warming in winter and spring. |
Increased precipitation |
Expect a 5.6% increase in average annual precipitation by 2050 from the 1971-2000 baseline, with a greater change in winter and spring precipitation and the possibility of decreased precipitation during the summer. |
Increased frequency and intensity of extreme weather events |
Expect a 10% increase in the intensity of heavy rain events by 2050 from the 1981-2000 average. We may experience a doubled frequency of heavy rain events and longer drought periods between storms. |
Changes in Lake Erie |
Ice cover over parts of the lake could be reduced by 16-52 days by 2050 with a decrease of 0.8 metres and high seasonal variability. |
Water Shortages |
Increased air temperature will bring increased evaporation, decreased summer precipitation and lower water levels. |
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change states that neither adaptation nor mitigation alone can avoid all climate change impacts, but they can complement each other and together can significantly reduce the risks of climate change. The Town of Essex has committed itself to both adaptation strategies and mitigation measures to minimize the risks associated with a changing climate.
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